Signature handling apparatus



Dec. 27, 1960 o. L. GORE SIGNATURE HANDLING APPARATUS 5 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1958 in V FIIIL INVENIOR.

, OWEN GORE BY ATT EYS Dec. 27, 1960 o. L. GORE 2,966,354

SIGNATURE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. '7, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW/1% ATT Filed Aug. 7, 1958 Dec. 27, 1960 o. L. GORE 2,966,354

SIGNATURE HANDLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y 27 INVENTOR.

ATTOR E YS Dec. 27, 1960 o. GORE 2,966,354

SIGNATURE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 7, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

OWEN L.\\ GORE ATTO EYS Dec. 27, 1960 o. L. GORE 2,966,354

SIGNATURE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 7, 1958 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

OWEN L. GORE ATTO Y United States Patent 2,966,354 SIGNATURE HANDLING APPARATUS Owen L. Gore, Hillsdale, N.J., assignor to Miehle-Goss- Dexter, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 753,835

16 Claims. (Cl. 270-55) This invention relates to a signature handling apparatus and more specifically to a method and apparatus for receiving a signature having its leaves spread apart and mounting the same in straddle fashion upon a signature receiving means.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel saddle for receiving a signature straddlewise thereon and transferring the same to a receiving means which is efficient, dependable, rapid in operation and rugged in construction.

Another object is to provide a new and novel saddle for transferring a signature from a leaf opening means to a conveyor wherein the saddle is movable to minimize the distance that a signature has to fall from the opening means to the saddle.

Another object is to provide a new and novel saddle for transferring a signature from a leaf opening means to a signature receiving means wherein the speed of the opened signature as it is mounted on the saddle is greatly reduced.

Another object is to provide a new and novel saddle which receives a signature from a leaf opening means and decelerates the speed of the signature and mounts the same on a signature receiving means.

A still further object is to provide a new and novel saddle mechanism whereby a rapidly fed series of opened signatures are continuously and smoothly transferred to and mounted in straddling fashion upon a rapidly moving conveyor.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the movable auxiliary saddle, the fixed saddle and the conveyor;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the mechanism on one side of the apparatus for moving the auxiliary saddle and also showing the stripper and detector means;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 44 of Fig. 1 showing the cam mechanism for imparting movement to the auxiliary saddle;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a modified construction of the auxiliary saddle;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 77 of Fig. 6 showing the mechanism for operating the auxiliary saddle and also showing the stripper and detector means; and

Fig. 8 is a top plan view taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, one form of the new and novel saddle mechanism constructed and operated in accordance with the present invention is herein illustrated and may be embodied in a signature feeding apparatus as set forth in my copending application, Gore et al., Serial No. 753,733, filed on even date herewith. Such a mechanism, as will be more readily understood after consideration of the drawings, includes a vertically movable mechanism for receiving an opened signature at a point near the signature opening means and for transferring the signature at a controlled speed to a fixed saddle. A rapidly moving conveyor removes the signature from the fixed saddle.

As shown in Fig. 1, an upright frame consisting of vertically extending plates 10 supports the new and novel saddle mechanism. A shaft 11 is supported at each end in suitable bearings in plates 10. One end of said shaft extends beyond one of the plates 16 and has a pulley 12 secured thereto. A driven belt 13 is connected to the pulley for continuously rotating the shaft 11. An auxiliary saddle 14 consists of a pair of short horizontally extending and spaced apart signature supporting members 15 and 16 which support the end portions of each signature fold mounted thereon. Mounted to the signature supporting member 16 is an inverted V-shaped skirt 36 which serves to hold the leaves of a signature mounted thereon in a greater spread apart position as and for a purpose hereinafter to appear. A saddle 17 extends horizontally below the auxiliary saddle and is fixedly secured at one end to one of the plates 10. A saddle type conveyor 18 horizontally extends under the fixed saddle 17 and has a plurality of fingers 19 extending outwardly from the surface thereof and adapted to engage the end of a signature mounted on the fixed saddle and to move the same off the fixed saddle and onto the conveyor (see Figs. 1 and 4). The auxiliary saddle, fixed saddle and conveyor are positioned in substantially vertical alignment with each other, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. A signature mounted on the fixed saddle will have its leaves extending downwardly on either side of the fixed saddle and on either side of the conveyor and in operational contact with the fingers 19 of the conveyor. A signature mounted on the auxiliary saddle will have its leaves extending downwardly on either side of the auxiliary saddle and will be in straddling position over a signature mounted on the fixed saddle. It will be noted in Figs. 1 and 5 that the inverted V-shaped skirt member 36 is located on the upstream side of the auxiliary saddle so that greater spreading of the leaves of the signature mounted thereon holds the leaves out of operational contact with the fingers 19 of the conveyor as they move past the signature.

The mechanism for supporting and moving members 15 and 16 are identical in construction and operation and therefore a description of one will be sufficient. The signature supporting portion 15 has an upwardly extending rod portion 20 which is secured at its upper end to one leg of a bell crank 21. Bell crank 21 is pivotally mounted to a bifurcated portion 22 of a vertically disposed plate 23. As shown in Fig. 2, plate 23 is held in the vertical position by a pair of levers 24 and 25. Lever 24 is pivotally secured to plate 23 at one end thereof and fixedly secured at the other end to a rotatably oscillatable shaft 26 which has its ends mounted in suitable bearings in plates 10 and is free rotatably therein. Lever 25 is pivotally mounted at one end to the plate 23 and pivotally mounted at the other end to one of a pair of shafts 27. Thus, as the shaft 26 is oscillatably rotated, the plate 23 will be moved up and down in a vertical plane and lever 25 will act as a guide to hold the plate in a vertical plane. Shafts 27 are secured at one end thereof to one of the plates and extend outwardly therefrom, as shown in Fig. l. A bracket 28 is mounted to the shafts 27 and has a rear- Wardly extending horizontal surface 29. A shoulder 30 extends upwardly from the bracket surface 29 and serves a purpose hereinafter to be described. The other leg of bell crank 21 is bifurcated and has mounted therein a roller 31 and the lower end of a rod 32. The upper end of rod 32 freely passes through an aperture in a horizontal plate 33 which is fixedly secured at one end thereof to the top of plate 23. A spring 34 is compressed and telescopically mounted over the rod 32 between the plate 33 and the lower end of the rod. Suitable lock nuts 35 threadedly engage the upper end of the rod. As shown in Fig. 1, the compressed spring 34 will constantly urge the rod 32 downwardly until lock nuts 35 are in contact with the upper surface of plate 33 and will in turn pivotally move the other arm of the bell crank 21 and the signature supporting member connected thereto to the right and into signature engaging position. As shaft 26 is rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, the plate 23 together with the bell crank 21 and signature supporting member 15 will move vertically downwardly until roller 31 strikes the shoulder 30. Upon continued downward movement of plate 23, the bell crank will be pivoted and will carry the signature supporting member 15 arcuately to the left, as shown in Fig. 1, and out of the downward path of movement of the signatures. It will be seen that the signature supporting members 15 and 16 will be first moved vertically downward and then will arcuately move away from each other and out of the downward path of movement of the signatures allowing the signatures to freely fall downwardly onto the fixed saddle 17. The controlled oscillating rotational movement of shaft 26 is accomplished by means of a cam 40 securely mounted on the driven shaft 11 and rotated therewith. As shown in Fig. 4, a lever 41 is fixedly secured at one end thereof to the shaft 26 and has a cam follower 42 rotatably mounted in the other end and in rolling contact with the outer surface of said cam. Thus, the shaft 26 will be oscillatably rotated in accordance with the movement of the lever 41 which movement is in turn controlled by the contour of the cam 40. In order to constantly urge the cam follower 42 into contact with the cam 40, there is provided a lever 43 which is securely fastened at one end to the shaft 26 (see Fig. 2.). Pivotally secured to the other end of lever 43 is a rod 44 having a shoulder 45. The 'lower end of rod 44 slidably extends through an aperture in a bracket 46 which is fixed to one of the plates 10. A compressed spring 47 is telescopically mounted over rod 44 with one end bearing against bracket 46 and the other end against shoulder 45 to constantly urge the rod upwardly. By this means, shaft 26' is constantly urged in a clockwise rotational direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, and the follower 42 is constantly urged into contact with the cam 40. As set forth above, the signature supporting members 15 and 16 first move vertically downwardly and then are moved outwardly away from each other and out of the downward path of movement of the signature whereby the signature is free to fall downwardly onto the fixed saddle 17. The vertical up and down movements of the signature support ing members 15 and 16 are so timed that a signature is mounted thereon after members 15 and 16 have reached their highest upward movement and just as they start their downward movement. Thus, the impact of the free falling signature is minimized and the possibility of a signature tearing at the folded portion as it is mounted on the auxiliary saddle is greatly reduced.

Mounted adjacent. the auxiliary saddle portion 15 is a stripper. and automatic stop. mechanism 59,. as shown 7 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The stripper and automatic stop mechanism comprises a bell crank 51 pivotally mounted at the outer end of bracket 28. A rod 52 extends through one leg of the bell crank with the lower end of the rod vertically extending downwardly past auxiliary saddle portion 15. A spring 53 is secured to the upper end of the rod and pulls the same into contact with a pin 54 which is also mounted in the end of bracket 28. Thus, the rod 52, as shown in Fig. l, is constantly held in a vertical position and parallel to the downward path of movement of the signatures. A cam surface 55 is afiixed to the other leg of the bell crank. A cut-off switch 56 is mounted to the frame 10 and has a spring loaded wand 57 and a roller 58 mounted to the end of the wand and held in operational contact with the cam surface 55. In the normal operation of the auxiliary saddle, the signatures sometimes move to the left, or downstream, as viewed in Fig. 1, after they are mounted on the auxiliary saddle due to the fact that a portion of the leaves of the signatures on the auxiliary saddle are in frictional contact with the leaves of the signature on the fixed saddle. As the conveyor 18 moves the signature on the fixed saddle to the left or downstream, it may carry with it the signature on the auxiliary saddle. The tension of spring 53 is sutficient to overcome this resistance as the signature on the auxiliary saddle is moved into contact with the rod 52. However, should the signature on the auxiliary saddle become jammed or engaged with the legs 19 on the conveyor so that a greater than frictional resistance is set up, the 'lower end of rod 52 will be moved to the left. The movement of rod 52 will pivot the bell crank 51 which in turn will rotate the cam surface 55 and push the roller and wand 57 to the left for actuating the cut-off switch 56. Alternatively, instead of using the cut-off switch 56, a photoelectric eye 59 may be mounted to the left of the auxiliary saddle 14 and fixed saddle 17 and slightly above the conveyor 18, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, if any signature should become crumpled or for any other reason not be properly seated on the conveyor 18, it would actuate the photoelectric eye which in turn would cut off the machine. In this alternative construction, the rod 52 would be fixedly secured to the end of bracket 28 and would still serve the function of limiting the horizontal movement of a signature on the auxiliary saddle caused by any frictional contact with a signature mounted on the fixed saddle. In addition to serving as a detector for an operational malfunction, the rod 52 serves as a stripper. As the signature engaging members 15 and 16 arcuately move away from each other, the rod 52 remains in its vertical position and prevents the signature from following the arcuate paths of members 15 and 16. Rod 52 will operate as a stripper whether it is pivotally mounted as described above to serve the dual purpose of a detector or fixedly mounted.

In operation the leaves of a folded signature are opened and fed downwardly onto the auxiliary saddle 14 with one leaf of the signature on one side of the auxiliary saddle and the other leaf on the other side of the auxiliary saddle, as set forth in my previously mentioned application. The vertical movement of auxiliary saddle 14 is so timed in relation to the feeding of the opened signatures that the folded edge of the signature is mounted on the auxiliary saddle after it has reached its maximum upward movement and as it starts its downward movement. Thus, the distance that the signature falls is minimized and the downward speed of the signature is decelerated and is controlled by the speed of the downward movement of the auxiliary saddle. The signature engaging portions 15 and 16 on the auxiliary saddle are moved vertically downwardly until the roller 31 on the bell crank 21 comes into contact with the vertically extending shelf 30. The continued downward movement of the plate 23 will cause the bell crank to be pivoted, thus moving the signature engaging portions 15 and 16 arcuately away from each other thereby releasing the signature and permitting it to fall downwardly onto the fixed saddle 17. While the plate 23 of the auxiliary saddle moves continuously downward, the downward vertical movement of the signature engaging portions 15 and 16 is momentarily stopped for the brief interval that the roller 31 is engaging the vertically extending shelf 30 and before the pivotal movement of the bell crank 21 is efifected and then the portions 15 and 16 are arcuately moved away from each other. The fingers 19 on the continuously moving conveyor 18 will engage the edge of the signature mounted on the saddle 17 and push it off said saddle and onto the conveyor. After a signature has been removed from the auxiliary saddle 14 the signature engaging portions 15 and 16 are returned to their signature engaging positions and moved vertically upwardly where the above described process is repeated. The various parts of the mechanism are moved at a high rate of speed so that a rapidly fed series of the signatures are received, decelerated, momentarily brought to rest, deposited on the fixed saddle and slidably moved onto the conveyor in practically a continuous stream of signatures.

A modification of the auxiliary saddle is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. In this modification, the auxiliary saddle portions 15 and 16 have no vertical downward movement of the complete saddle unit but are limited to a movement whereby the portions 15 and 16 are swung downwardly and away from each other in an arcuate path and out of the path of downward movement of the signature. In this modification, a bell crank 60 is pivotally mounted in the lower end of a block 61 which is in turn pivotally secured to the parallel shafts 27. A connecting rod 62 is pivotally connected at its lower end to the other leg of the bell crank 60 and has its upper end pivotally connected to a lever 63. Lever 63 is fixedly secured to shaft 26 so that upon the oscillatable rotation of the shaft, the auxiliary saddle portions 15 and 16 will be moved into or out of operational position.

The operation of the saddle mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description and while said description and the accompanying drawings set forth with more or less particularity one embodiment of the invention, it is to be expressly understood that said invention is not limited to said embodiment. Various changes may be made therein, particularly in the manner and the design of the mechanism for moving the signature engaging portions of the auxiliary saddle to permit the signature to be removed therefrom, as well as in the mode of operation and manner of use, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as will now be clear to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

l. A signature handling apparatus comprising means to open the leaves of a signature in straddling fashion for depositing the same upon a signature receiving means, a movable auxiliary saddle positioned to receive said opened signature and to decelerate the downward movement of said signature and hold the same out of operational contact with said signature receiving means, and a rigid saddle positioned to receive said opened signature from said auxiliary saddle and to hold the same in operational contact with said signature receiving means.

2. A signature handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the auxiliary saddle comprises a pair of movably mounted horizontally extending and spaced apart rod members for supporting the outer ends of a signature at the fold thereof and means to move each of said rod members away from each other whereby the signature will be released therefrom.

3. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2 including resilient means biasing said rod members into a signature supporting position.

4. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2 including an 6 inverted V-shaped skirt portion secured to one or both of said rod members whereby the leaves of a signature mounted thereon are spread apart and retained out of operational contact with the signature receiving means.

5. In a signature handling apparatus the combination of means to open the leaves of a signature in straddling fashion, a movable auxiliary saddle, and signature receiving means, means to move said auxiliary saddle toward said leaf opening means for receiving a signature thereon and then to move the same toward said signature receiving means, and means to move said auxiliary saddle out of signature engaging position.

6. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said auxiliary saddle is moved in a predetermined path and wherein the means to move said auxiliary saddle out of signature engaging means is operative at the point in said predetermined path wln'ch is closest to said signature receiving means.

7. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said auxiliary saddle comprises a pair of movably mounted horizontally extending and spaced apart rod members for supporting the outer ends of a signature at the fold thereof and wherein said means to move said auxiliary saddle out of signature engaging position comprises means to move each of said rod members away from each other whereby the signature will be released therefrom.

8. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including resilient means to bias said rod members into a signature supporting position.

9. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including a fixed stripper member positioned adjacent at least one of said rod members whereby the signature is stripped from said rod members in their movement away from each other.

10. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the signature receiving means comprises a rigid saddle and a conveyor positioned in operational contact with said rigid saddle and including drive means for said signature leaf opening means and a vertically extending stripper pivotally mounted at its upper end and having its lower end positioned adjacent the auxiliary saddle rod member on the downstream side of said saddle, a switch for controlling said drive means and positioned adjacent said stripper whereby it will be actuated by movement of said stripper, resilient means to retain said stripper in a vertical plane, said resilient means being of sufiicient strength to hold said stripper in a vertical plane under normal operation whereby a signature will be stripped from said auxilary saddle upon the movement of said rod members away from each other but upon the jamming of a signature on said auxiliary saddle Will yield to permit the strippers to be moved out of its vertical plane whereby the switch will be actuated to cut off said drive means.

11. A signature handling apparatus comprising means to open the leaves of a signature in straddling fashion, a conveyor for receiving said opened signatures, a movable auxiliary saddle and a fixed saddle interposed between said singature opening means and said conveyor, means to move said auxiliary saddle toward said signature opening means for receiving a signature thereon and then to move the same toward said fixed saddle, said fixed saddle positioned to hold a signature in operational contact with said conveyor and said auxiliary saddle adapted to constantly hold the leaves of a signature mounted thereon out of operational contact with said conveyor, and means to move said auxiliary saddle out of signature engaging position whereby a signature is deposited on said fixed saddle.

12. A method of handling folded signatures and delivering them in straddling fashion to a signature receiving means comprising the steps of opening the leaves of a signature in straddling fashion and releasing the same to fall downwardly in said opened position, engaging the folded edge of said signature while it is falling and causing the downward movement thereof to be decelerated and to maintain the leaves of said signature out of operational range of said signature receiving means, and thereafter depositing said signature in straddling fashion onto said signature receiving means.

13. A method of handling folded signatures and delivering them in straddling fashion to a conveyor comprising the steps of opening the leaves of a signature in straddling fashion and thereafter releasing said signature whereby the same may freely fall downwardly in said opened straddling position decelerating the downward movement of said opened signature during its downward movement causing the leaves of said opened signature to be spread apart and out of operationalcontact with said conveyor during said downward movement, thereafter depositing said signature on a fixed saddle with the leaves of the signature in operational contact with said conveyor, and removing the signature from the fixed saddle onto said conveyor.

14. In a signature handling apparatus the combination of means to open the leaves of a signature to an inverted V-shaped position, a movable auxiliary saddle and a signature receiving means to receive said opened signature, means to move said auxiliary saddle toward said leaf opening means for receiving a signature thereon and then to move the same toward said signature receiving means, signature stripping means positioned adjacent one end of said movable auxiliary saddle whereby horizontal movement of said signature on said auxiliary saddle is prevented, and means to move said auxiliary saddle out of signature engaging position.

15. In a signature handling apparatus the combination of means to open the leaves of a signature to an inverted V-shaped position, a movable auxiliary saddle, a stationary. saddle, and a signature conveyor means for receiving said opened signature, power means for said signature leaf opening means, auxiliary saddle and conveyor, mounting means for said auxiliary saddle wherein said saddle is moved toward said leaf opening means and then toward said signature receiving means, pivotally mounted signature stripper means positioned adjacent one end of said auxiliary saddle, control means for said signature opening means, auxiliary saddle and conveyor positioned in the arcuate path of movement of said stripper, and means to move said auxiliary saddle out of signature engaging position.

16. In a signature handling apparatus as set forth in .claim 15 wherein said signature stripper is resiliently urged in a first direction with sufiicient force to overcome the signature movement in a horizontal direction caused by the frictional drag between said signature being held on the auxiliary saddle and a signature being removed from said stationary saddle and to yield to excessive movement of said signature mounted on said auxiliary saddle wherein said stripper will be pivotally moved in a second direction to actuate said control means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 21,489 Kleineberg et a1. June 25, 1940 1,142,417 Gitzedanner June 8, 1915 1,236,909 Christensen Aug. 14, 1917 1,294,559 Sproul Feb. 18, 1919 2,268,600 Kleineberg Jan. 6, 1942 

